Trigger Warnings for suicidal thoughts, mental health and child abuse. (Not heavy but it's still present)
Normal POV
Casey pulled up to the garage. E. T. Mechanics was the best auto body shop in the state. They did detailing, carwashes, repairs and custom jobs. They always kept their old town belief. They were heavily devoted to the town that had given them their start and Casey admired it. Sadly, there was one con to the establishment.
She got out of the car, gathering all her things before heading inside. She let out a pleased sigh at the A/C blarring, basking in her reprieve before remembering she was on a time sensitive mission. Remi never did have a lot of patience for the near to impossible tasks she'd given her, so everything was typically time sensitive.
Casey approached the counter, noticing no one was there before ringing the courtesy bell for an employee. Her arms burned from the strain of Remi's laundry and other necessities on her arms and she bent over to place the down to give her arms a break.
"Sorry about the wait, I was checking on something out back."
Casey shot up, back ramrod straight as she came face to face with the single con of E. T.'s Mechantics.
Ethan Thompson.
It shouldn't be much of a surprise seeing as this was his families shop, having been opened by his great grandfather when he was uoung and flourishing still dfour generations. Still, that did not make the queasy feeling in her gut go away. She was hoping someone else would be here, but then again, hope never got her very far in life.
She could feel the fear and anxiety prickle under her skin as she looked in his eyes before diverting. 'Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact.'
"N- no, i- it'd f- fine", she assured, shaking her head, "I- I wasn't here long so i- it's okay", she muttered, fiddling with Remi's heavy keys in her hands, wanting to turn and leave as fast as she could.
He chuckled behind the countered and she winced knowing he was laughing at her, everyone did. "Well that's good to know, don't any bad reviews for customer service, eh?", he joked, but Casey didn't laugh, chewing her bottom lip nervously.
Ethan cleared his throat, brushing passed the awkward silence, "Uh, tell me what brings you in today?", he asked, skipping the small talk. He had tried to make conversation with her before when she'd come by with her stepmother's car, but every conversation would go the same. She wouldn't even look at him most of the time. Still, it did not stop him from trying everytime.
'Never make contact, remember Casey', she recited to herself, trying to keep her heartbeat steady.
Casey continued to avoid his gaze, looking at the counter as images of Lexi filled her mind. The last thing she needed was her thinking she was some stalker after her boyfriend. It took a moment for her to realize she had blanked out on him as he awaited her inquiry. "Sorry", she whispered, face burning in embarrassing, "I uh I just need an oil change a- and t- to get the fluids checked", she explained, wiping the sweat from her eyebrow from the burning sun. She wished she could afford a bus pass, but her bike would have to do until she possibly died of a heat stroke. Atleast then, she could be with her parents. She shook the suicidal thoughts from her mind in an attempt to keep herself from spiraling.
From her downcasted gaze, she didn't notice Ethan's frown, "Okay well... I'll go check it out, see if anything else is wrong and get you on your way." He turned away from her, his back to her as he gathered the necessary paperwork and only then did she raise her head.
Casey just nodded at first before finally opening her mouth when she realized he couldn't see her, "Uh okay, uh s- sounds good", she mumbled, continuing to type away on her phone. 'Never make eye contact. You don't deserve eye contact; you don't deserve respect.'
YOU ARE READING
The Black Cinderella
Teen Fiction"Your black ain't beautiful", at least that's what her stepmother tells her. "If you're not a twig, you're not beautiful either", her stepsister Agatha would say. "Your parents didn't love you, if they did, they wouldn't have died and stuck us with...
